Researching Locations with Google Earth: Part 1

You might be familiar with services such as Mapquest and Google Maps that help you to find your way between destinations. If you live in a town like mine, you might have even seen a newspaper article that Google's street view van came through the area, recording what the place looked like along with issues such as who was on the street at the time and maybe even who was walking past a window in their house naked--they're still working out some of the privacy issues and kinks. Street view allows you to zoom in so close in Google Maps that you can actually see footage of the place recorded by the vans, really seeing the area like someone on the street would.

Now, I don't want this article to come off as a Google ad. In fact, I have a number of issues with Google and its policies. However, in their drive to become THE go-to place for data and information on everything, they have hit a few home runs in the way of making the world a bit smaller. You can use Google Earth to not only see what a location looks like from an orbiting satellite, but also to zoom in and get a better look.

How Low Can You Go?

How far you can zoom in for a particular location depends on a number of factors, such as:

  • If for some reason the location is purposely set in Google to prevent you from zooming too close. This situation occurs for war zones, sensitive security areas, and other locations where a government entity approaches Google on this topic.
  • If someone involved with the location has paid to have additional images taken with special flights or some other method, allowing you to zoom in further and see more detail.
  • If someone has built a 3-D model of any part of the location, allowing you to explore it.
  • If the Google Street View van has been through the area.
In addition to zooming in and looking around, Google Earth also takes advantage of the fact that many people today have cameras with GPS locators built in. When those people upload pictures to popular sites like Flickr, those pictures show up on Google Earth in the form of little graphical links. Click those links and you see pictures of that exact location, with the advantage that they were probably taken at many times of day and year.

Is There Real Practical Use?

A friend recently told me that she was working on a story and wanted to be sure how a particular downtown Vancouver location was laid out. She could have driven up from Seattle, or begged me to drive down to Vancouver and check, but instead she decided to try out Google Earth. Since her interest involved a major city her chances were pretty good that she'd find what she needed, and lo and behold, she was able to confirm exactly what she needed to, saving both of us gas and time (not to mention begging and negotiating).

While you're not seeing a live video feed of a location, there is also the option of going back in time. Each time an image of an area is updated, the older images are preserved and remain accessible. Just activate the timeline feature and drag the slider. If there aren't any older pictures available, then the image won't change.

For Some Real Fun

You can also use Google Earth to explore the oceans, the sky (the constellations, for example), the Moon, and Mars.

Next time I'll take you on a bit of a tour of using Google Earth.

 

Comments (0) . Friday, 20 November 2009

Interview with a Freelancer: Kaarin Moore, Wardrobe Consultant and Freelance Writer

This interview I welcome Kaarin Moore, owner of Closet Caucus and a Freelancer. You can contact her at closetcaucus AT gmail.com and follow here on Twitter as ClosetCaucus.

DEE-ANN: Why did you choose to use your own name or start your own business to work under?

KAARIN MOORE: I currently do two types of work:

  a) I own Closet Caucus, a wardrobe consulting business in DC.

  b) I do multiple freelance projects outside of my primary business, including PR, resume writing, and internal communication assessments for nonprofit organizations. The road that led to this work was winding, but my past personal and professional experience built on itself and progressed to these arenas.

At the time I decided to become a freelancer I was doing communications work at a museum in DC. Internally I felt as if my time there was winding down. I yearned for a new challenge and to try something on my own.

My initial thought was to start two businesses: Closet Caucus and a catchall for my freelance communications work called Moore Inspired. From the beginning I knew that one business would move to the forefront and the other would fall away. My vision was still being defined as I quit my job and gave freelancing a try. The past two years have been about building a foundation, clearly defining goals, and building processes and systems. Closet Caucus turned out to be much more than I ever anticipated at the outset, and thus has become my primary focus.

Ultimately I feel as though my work will always be about communication. Thus, I’m turning a corner and going after / accepting new writing projects that support my Closet Caucus brand. For example, I just signed on to become a fashion columnist with Shoestring Magazine called "Practically Posh."

DEE-ANN: What type of freelance work do you do?

KAARIN MOORE: For Closet Caucus I work with individuals to help match who they are internally with what they express externally. I offer a number of services including wardrobe editing, style workshops, and a new service called “From Breakup to Bombshell” which helps men and women work through the transitional time after a relationship ends.

Although this work seems vastly different from my past experience, it all comes back to communication. Closet Caucus focuses on expression and clarity of message through the medium of clothing.

DEE-ANN: Freelancers tend to work from home, which means we can lose track of little things like wardrobe and style if we aren't careful. What advice do you have for the freelancer who wants to put on a professional face when going out into the world? Going to a face-to-face meeting in sweats and bunny slippers I hear isn't advisable.

KAARIN MOORE: If you are a freelancer you are your brand. Walking into a meeting you are your entire company, and your choices represent your work. That means dressing up for business meetings. It means minding the details.

Also, it is a myth that dressing up is uncomfortable. There are many options out there. Even if you work at your computer 90% of the time clothes can be both comfortable and polished. It doesn’t mean spending lots of cash, but it does mean keeping a conscious eye on the fact that you embody your brand.

DEE-ANN: What would you say are the similarities between wardrobe editing and prose editing? What similar issues crop up?

KAARIN MOORE: In both mediums the clutter needs to be taken out so the message isn’t muddled. Writers feel deep attachment to the words they write. In the same way, people have deep connections to clothing. Both types of editing can be an emotional experience, because it is truly about letting go. At the end of both processes, when something has been expertly edited, there is freedom in the end product.

DEE-ANN: How can freelancers express the style of their work through the style of their dress and appearance?

KAARIN MOORE: I believe that clothing can exaggerate a feeling. For example, wearing something that makes you feel sexy can push you to be cheekier or more confident. Since many freelancers work from home and don’t see their clients it can be easy to get into a pattern of wearing things that are sloppy / frumpy. Clothing can be about play – it can be about pushing a particular part of your personality to the forefront.

DEE-ANN: When would the "From Breakup to Bombshell" treatment be a good idea for a freelancer's writing style?

KAARIN MOORE: Perhaps the Breakup to Bombshell concept can be applied to particular client situations. Sometimes freelancers just have to breakup with a client. But, that “breakup” can be very difficult, especially for freelancers who feel pride in delivering the best product possible. But, terminating a client relationship isn’t necessarily a reflection on talent / ability. Sometimes partnerships just aren’t a good fit. The only thing you can do is remain confident in who you are, pick yourself up, and push onward. 

DEE-ANN: How long have you been freelancing?

KAARIN MOORE: Almost 2 years.

DEE-ANN: Full time or part time?

KAARIN MOORE: Full time.

DEE-ANN: Can you describe a typical, or at least recent, project for us?

KAARIN MOORE: I recently spoke at a networking group called 40+ of Greater Washington. Branching out to speaking engagements is a whole new area personally and professionally. I would much rather work with people one on one in order to affect change. Public speaking has been baptism by fire, and has pushed me to grow.

DEE-ANN: What have you found resonates the most with your audience?

KAARIN MOORE: Being real. Being vulnerable. Telling stories that have deep roots about who we are as people and the insecurities we have with our bodies. It’s terribly frightening to talk about, but going to that place is something that everyone has experienced in some form.

DEE-ANN: How did you get into public speaking?

KAARIN MOORE: Growing up I did a lot of theater, which gave me a background for being in front of an audience. But, I must say that speaking on behalf of your own company is vastly different than acting in character in front of a large audience. Give me a play any day of the week. But public speaking? I’m still in the stage of trying not to pass out before getting behind a podium.

 DEE-ANN: What is the most important piece of advice you could give to someone starting out or transitioning into your specialty?

KAARIN MOORE: Find mentors! Surrounding yourself with savvy people will help spawn growth. Freelancing / starting a business can be a solitary road, but trustworthy advisors are worth their weight in gold. I wish someone had told me at the start of my journey to seek out different types of confidants. It has taken awhile, but I have finally found a group of people who I consider to be part of my team. I strongly recommend that new freelancers seek out these types of mentors:

a)    An IT advisor. It didn’t occur to me that I needed an IT advisor until I started having problems with my computer. My friend, Navin Vembar, is brilliant in many aspects of technology and is insightful regarding the latest technological trends. He helps me decipher what technical things could be beneficial to my business and what I should not invest time / energy into.

DEE-ANN: What one IT insight would you say has made the biggest difference in your business?

KAARIN MOORE: Creating and implementing a strategic social media plan. Twitter made my business that first year. I didn’t have any money to advertise, but I did put time into thinking through ways of building an audience.

 b)    Someone successful within your field. Kristen King is my business go-to gal. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the ethical way she conducts her company. Thus, I turn to her for advice on how to handle difficult clients, questions on billing, and topics that require both thoughtfulness and moxie.

DEE-ANN: What one piece of advice really turned on the light bulb for you on how to handle a difficult situation?

KAARIN MOORE: Kristen has a very solid sense of justice, which is an amazing personality trait. It’s something that I call “pink furry” – the ability to be kind and at the same time stand your ground. Freelancers can be placed in very vulnerable situations at times, especially when it comes to money. Sometimes clients try to get out of promises regarding payment and benefits. I witnessed a client try to pull something over on Kristen and she wasn’t taking any of it.  She stood firm, and didn’t resort to being nasty / critical / angry with the wrong people. A classy move from a classy lady. Totally inspired me. 

 c)    A mentor who knows you from a past job. Shari Werb is my former boss and a valuable resource. She knows how I work, thus is aware of my strengths and weaknesses. She is outside of my industry, which is incredibly important in order to get a broader view of my professional objectives. Shari is also a member of my target demographic so I can go to her and say, “Would this service be interesting to you? What do you think of this idea? This language?” and know that her voice represents many of my clients.

DEE-ANN: What's one area where Shari's understanding of you really made a difference?

KAARIN MOORE: A couple of months ago we were having dinner and Shari said, “What you are doing is answering a question. You are testing a hypothesis.” She went on to say that my curiosity about the connection between communication, clothes, and body image was something that I wanted to study, and that it would take me to interesting places. Her comments were salve to a place internally where I was still wrestling between the pull of two seemingly different worlds – fashion and communication. She is a person who can speak to a very quiet part of me, and thus has the ability to completely reframe things. 

 d)    An advisor who loves you, is a cheerleader, and asks, “Are you sure?” My sister, Carey Moore, has a head for business and the rare gift to see three steps ahead. She can also say things to me that many others cannot – i.e. give me a reality check that is completely founded in love and compassion. I recently went to her with an idea and said, “What do you think?” She liked where I was going, but pointed out that I currently don’t have the infrastructure to support my idea. I still will pursue my initial plan, but will go about it in another form when the timing is correct. Carey’s honesty and ability to see problems within my structure has saved me money, aggravation, and hours of work on half-baked ideas.

DEE-ANN: How did you pull together your group of mentors? Any tips?

KAARIN MOORE: I just keep an eye out for people who are on fire. People who speak their truth and are passionate. I have never asked someone, “Hey, would you like to be my mentor?” I don’t think it works like that. Instead, I just ask someone out for a cup of coffee and ask lots of questions. Usually people are open to talking about their opinions. 

DEE-ANN: What’s your favorite part of your work?

KAARIN MOORE: Closet Caucus is deeply fulfilling. The most exciting part of my job is observing as a client’s framework about his/her own beauty shifts. Watching others go from, “I feel frumpy and unattractive,” to, “I’m sexy and feel ready for anything,” in 48 hours is a high unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

DEE-ANN: Do you find you learn anything about yourself in the process?

KAARIN MOORE: It’s amazing how people’s insecurities tend to be more alike than different. I never realized how many people feel so alone in their struggles. And for what reason? If people are feeling similar fears why aren’t they discussed? It’s pushed me to become more open and helped me realize that we are more deeply intertwined than we can possibly understand. 

DEE-ANN: What would you rather farm off on someone else?

KAARIN MOORE: All of the nitty gritty work involving money. Invoicing, processing, and keeping up financially with various clients / accounts can be quite tedious.

DEE-ANN: Do you use an accountant?

KAARIN MOORE: Oh yes! My accountant is amazing. I really can’t say enough about her – she is kind, honest, spunky, and intelligent. Would recommend her services to anyone, especially freelancers:

Donna Barwick, CPA
Andrews, Barwick, & Lee
280 Charles Dimmock Parkway, #1
Colonial Heights, VA 23834
804-520-1384

DEE-ANN: As a very, very general rule, do you find wardrobe or writing clients to be easier or more difficult to work with?

KAARIN MOORE: Working with wardrobe clients takes more out of me emotionally. I do a lot of listening about a client’s life, and it’s an honor to be entrusted with that information. But, I come home from Closet Caucus appointments completely spent. It is a good kind of exhaustion, but it is still exhaustion. I’m learning about how to have empathy while keeping healthy emotional boundaries. 

DEE-ANN: Anything else you’d like to share with Freelance Survivors?

KAARIN MOORE: Don’t expect everyone to understand your vision. When I decided to become a freelancer I assumed everyone would be thrilled and want me to succeed. It surprised me when some friends were not supportive. It took awhile to realize that it was okay if other people didn’t understand where I was going and why. Regardless of if I succeed or crash and burn I know that a) I’m giving it a real shot and b) it’s an amazing adventure.

The decision to live your dream is powerful. It pushes buttons within people in ways that are unexpected. Both support and resentment will come from unlikely sources. Your main job is to keep pushing toward the dream that is within you. Listen and weigh other people’s concerns and anxieties, but make sure that you take advice from those who deeply care about you and want the best for your life. Then fight like hell to make your vision a reality.

Comments (0) . Sunday, 8 November 2009

Separating my personal work site out of Freelance Survivor

It's reached the point where I'd like to focus Freelance Survivor just on itself, and let those who want to follow my other work (my articles, etc.) do so on a separate blog. To this end, I'm in the process of moving the http://www.dee-annleblanc.com/ domain to point to my new professional online home. This switch should happen within the next few days, so be sure that when you're coming here, you're coming to http://www.freelancesurvivor.com/ and not the other URL.

Comments (0) . Tuesday, 13 October 2009

September Articles

CMSWire:

Comments (0) . Monday, 5 October 2009

Interview with a Freelancer: April Michelle Davis, Editor, Indexer, and Writer

Meet April Michelle Davis, Freelance Editor, Indexer, and Writer. 

DEE-ANN: Why did you choose to use your own name or start your own business to work under?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: My business name is Editorial Inspirations, and it is an LLC. I chose to create a business because I thought it would look more professional. It shows that I am serious about what I do and that I am not going anywhere, making me more reliable. Also, I chose to become an LLC to protect my family in the event that I ever get sued.

DEE-ANN: What was involved in setting up your LLC?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: Setting up an LLC is pretty easy, at least in Virginia. It is done through the state, so the process would be different in each state. In Virginia, I had to complete a one-page form and call to verify that my chosen business name had not already been taken. There is an annual fee of $50, and that's it!

DEE-ANN: What type of freelance work do you do?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: I represent myself as a freelance editor, indexer, and writer. I have several certifications in editing, and that is what I first began doing in 2001. I have performed a variety of types of editing, such as line edit and developmental edit. Since then, I began writing and even won two Writers Digest Awards. I have also taken classes in indexing. I have worked on books, magazines, and other publications in areas such as carpentry, engineering, law, self-help, memoir, dissertations, biography, children's, and fiction.

DEE-ANN: What types of certifications, and what was involved in earning them? Do you find that they make it easier to land work?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: I first obtained a certificate in editing and then one on book publishing from the University of Virginia. Each of these certificates required about 10 classes, but some of the classes overlapped. I was also working on a certificate in electronic publishing when UVA quit offering the program. I then went to EEI Communications and obtained a certificate in professional editing. This program required 11 classes in various types of editing and grammar. In this program, I had to take three elective classes, and I chose to take two in indexing.

These classes peaked my interest, and I would later pursue more education in indexing. These helped me get my first full-time position as an assistant editor for a magazine. In 2006, I began a master's degree in publishing at George Washington University. This program lasted two years, and its professors were professionals in the field, so they had a lot of relevant  experience.

DEE-ANN: For those who aren't familiar with the terms, what is the difference between line editing and developmental editing?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: Developmental editing is performed when the book is still being created. An editor works with the author to create a book and include all of the pertinent information. The editor also helps to rearrange the material in a logical order. A line editor comes in after this and corrects grammar, punctuation, and also makes sure that the developmental aspects of the book are in order.

DEE-ANN: What did you win the awards for?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: The contest involved writing a single sentence for the opening line of a story based on a picture given.

  • Writer's Digest Your Opening Line Contest - Honorable Mention (December 2006)
  • Writer's Digest Your Opening Line Contest - Honorable Mention (September 2006)

DEE-ANN: What's involved in building a good index?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: There is a lot to know to write a good index. I have been indexing for several years. I have taken two courses: USDA Graduate School's Basic Indexing and UCLA - Berkeley's Indexing Theory and Practice. And I still feel like there is so much to learn about indexing. Many people never even think about where an index comes from, but it is a very complex process that must be completed in a short about of time.

DEE-ANN: How long have you been freelancing?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: I have been freelancing since 2001.

DEE-ANN: Full time or part time?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: I began freelancing part time while holding down a full time job as an editor of a magazine. In 2007, I graduated from grad school with a degree in publishing and decided to freelance full time.

DEE-ANN: How do you feel that your graduate degree helps you in your freelancing?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: A prerequisite for the graduate program was to already have a job in the publishing field. And the entire program was completed with the same students in each class, so a lot of networking and friendships grew out of the two-year program. The program helped me to visualize the entire publishing process, see what other people in the process do, and see where I fit in it.

DEE-ANN: Would you recommend that freelancers take courses in publishing? If so, what kinds?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: Definitely! Courses help to keep skills updated and fresh and to practice those skills that are not used very often. Even if courses do not help land a job, they can help freelancers keep jobs by making clients happy with the skills that have been refreshed.

DEE-ANN: Can you describe a typical, or at least recent, project for us?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: Because I offer a variety of services, many of my projects are very different from one another. One project I have been working on is a memoir for a man who was born in Croix des Bouquets. I have been working with the author to smooth his broken English and make the story flow. Another recent project was editing and then indexing the history of a town in Minnesota.

DEE-ANN: Are there any special challenges in working with someone whose first language isn't English? 

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: One major challenge of working with ESL authors is to figure out what they are trying to say. Once that has been accomplished the editor has to rewrite the text so it is understandable to the general reader, but also sounds like the ESL author wrote it. Keeping the author's tone can be tricky while maintaining the clarity of the manuscript.

DEE-ANN: About how much of your time do you spend on the business side, and how much on creating?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: In general, I probably spend about 10% on the business side. I usually try to work on the business side, such as creating new projects in my database that was created just for me or creating invoices as they come along, rather than letting them pile up.

DEE-ANN: Could you describe your database? What program is it in? How do you use it?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: The database my husband created is awesome! It is in Microsoft Access. When I receive a project, I enter in the title of the project, select the client it came from, and insert the date received. When the project is completed, I insert the services performed, the date of completion, and the date I am sending out the invoice. When I receive payment, I insert that date, and I also insert the date the payment is deposited. All of that occurs in just one table. From that table, I can see reports of pending projects and projects completed from any given year. I also have a table in Access for creating estimates on projects, all of my client contact information, my expenses, and my car expenses. At the end of the year, I simply print out the reports for taxes.

DEE-ANN: What is the most important piece of advice you could give to someone starting out or transitioning into your specialty?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: Network and never give up. It was really hard for me to get my first break in the field, but once I did each new client was a little easier to obtain. I got my first break from meeting someone and then periodically touching base until he finally gave in and gave me a project. His company has been a client of mine since 2002.

DEE-ANN: What’s your favorite part of your work?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: I love the flexibility and the lack of office politics. I was never very good with the office politics because I am too independent. I really enjoy the flexibility because I can work really hard one day and take the next day off if there is something going on that I would like to participate in. Now that I have a son, I love that I can take him to the library for story time on Wednesday mornings. Though some people think I have the life because I work from home, I find it difficult to separate work and home life. When I have down time, I seem to gravitate to my computer and work on my current project or begin reading emails.

DEE-ANN: Do you have any work/life balance tips you'd like to share?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: Balancing work and life can be hard, especially when I have a laptop and can read my emails in bed, in the living room, in the kitchen, everywhere. To help me balance my time, I have a lot of rules for my email accounts, and I prioritize the various folders. When I have a lot of work, I only read from two of the folders and let the others pile up.

Though I freelance full time, I also have a young son who stays home with me. I work when he sleeps. Therefore, I am extremely busy, but I am forced to stop working and to be with him when he is awake. In the beginning, I felt like I was waiting for each nap so I could do more work. I had to change my mindset and learn to enjoy the time I got to be with him, but also to enjoy his naps so that I could feel like I have accomplished something.

To help with the balance, my husband and I give each other one night a week to do whatever we please. Sometimes I catch up on work or emails or go grocery shopping. Though they are not what I would want to necessarily do on a night out, I get to choose what to do and getting chores done does make me feel like I have accomplished something and make my days less stressful, so I can enjoy being with my son and playing with him even more.

DEE-ANN: What would you rather farm off on someone else?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: Nothing! If I am willing to take a project, I want to do the work. If I had to pick something, I would like to have an intern to work on my website and internet advertising.

DEE-ANN: Anything else you’d like to share with Freelance Survivors?

APRIL MICHELLE DAVIS: Being a freelancer has been my dream since undergraduate college. With a lot of hard work and determination, I was finally able to achieve it, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Comments (0) . Tuesday, 8 September 2009

August Articles

CMSWire:

Open Source Is Not Just a Marketing Term

Alert: What's Coming for Open Source CMS in September 2009

 

Linux.com:

Linux Migration Guide: Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Linux Maintenance

 

Comments (0) . Tuesday, 1 September 2009

My articles for the rest of July

In CMSWire:

Others:

 

Comments (0) . Tuesday, 11 August 2009

Choosing Where to Advertise

I've already discussed networking and promotion, but there's another aspect of getting the word out that I haven't yet talked about. That aspect is advertising.

Note: I don't want to quibble over the semantics of what advertising is. Assume that in this case I mean paying to be listed or have an ad displayed somewhere. 

There are a number of reasons you might choose to advertise your services. Here's just a few:

  • You need more work (a big one, of course)
  • You want to become more recognizable as a brand/name
  • You feel your customer base is too small and want to ensure that it's more spread out, so if you lose one customer you won't be in a world of hurt

If you feel that you do need to advertise, then the first question you need to answer is: To whom? Who are you trying to reach? Try to be as specific as possible, down to individuals is best rather than just a type of company or organization.

You might get started with something simple like this:

"Companies that can use my expertise."

"Companies that need fresh advertising copy."

"Organizations that need new online help materials written."

Now to target them better. Who in those companies and organizations are you trying to reach? Who handles the ad copy? Probably someone in marketing. So maybe a better one there is:

"Marketing executives in companies that need fresh advertising copy."

If you specialize in a particular sub-market (in the case of this example, perhaps you specialize in restaurants and caterers, the food service industry) then you can narrow this further:

"Marketing executives in food service industry companies that need fresh advertising copy."

Mind you, in this particular example, many catering services and restaurants may be small organizations where people wear many hats. There may not be someone there who only does marketing. That said, you're the one who knows your client base. The key here is that you know (in this example) that you're looking for the person who wears the marketing hat, or who at least is partly responsible for those duties.

Now you have to ask yourself what these people read and watch, and where they go:

  • Are there key industry organizations or publications?
  • Is there a key conference or other event that they attend? Are there local places they hang out?
  • Popular web resources? 

Identify the top five or ten places you'd love to advertise in, ignoring the price at first. Once you have your list, then find out the options available and how much each costs. Don't start to panic if some are expensive. Just make your notes. Be sure to jot down what you feel the benefits are of advertising with each of these places. Rate it on a scale of 1 - 5 or 1 - 10 of most desirable to least. 

Then when you feel that you've identified the top options, go back through the list and pay attention to the costs. It's likely that some will be far out of your reach for paid ads. Make notes for each of these with something like "Can't afford." However, others may not involve high end publications with expensive ad rates. If you're on the fence over whether you can afford it, put a "Maybe," and if you think you can manage that much money, put "Affordable."

Are you lucky enough that you have items that are both "Most Desirable" and "Affordable?" It's certainly possible. The best advertising opportunities are not always in big, flashy magazines or popular television shows. Maybe there's a key local food events newsletter that you know many of your target market reads so they know if they should make sure their organization is a part of the event. If the newsletter sells ads they might be quite affordable.

If there are any intersections of "Least Desirable" and "Can't afford" then put an X or other mark beside those items. Of course if it's on your list, it's still a place you're interested in advertising with, but be sure to put your money where you can get the best bang for your buck. Generally that spot will fall somewhere in the "Pretty Desirable" and "Affordable" or "Maybe" range.

For those times where either you have no advertising budget or a tiny one that won't support any of these options, consider other ways to be seen in your top opportunity list. Can you write an article for the publication or the professional organization's newsletter? Attend the related events and advertise yourself the networking way? Be creative. The same goes for if you really want to get into those "Most Desirable" spots but absolutely can't afford them.

A little creativity can go a long way. 

Comments (0) . Thursday, 16 July 2009

My articles the weeks of June 22 and June 29

On CMSWire:

On Linux.com:

Comments (0) . Sunday, 5 July 2009

Interview with a Freelancer: Ed Tittel, Writer and More

Welcome to the 15th interview on Freelance Survivor! You can reach Ed Tittel at his web site and at ed AT EdTittel DOT com.

DEE-ANN: Why did you choose to use your own name or start your own business to work under?

ED TITTEL: Using my own name--or at least an abbreviated version (I go by Ed Tittel rather than my full legal name of "Edward Richard Tittel")--seemed to be the best way to build a recognizable identity as a freelance writer/author. Seems to have worked so far!

DEE-ANN: What type of freelance work do you do?

ED TITTEL:

  • Short answer: "Whatever pays!"
  • Longer answer: Books (mostly revisions these days, not many new book deals out there for me lately), Web articles, online training, online course development, white papers, technical editing, and occasional outright consulting work (expert witness work, mostly). 

DEE-ANN: Out of all of these, which would you say are your favorite?

ED TITTEL: Although I still enjoy working on books, my favorite kind of work remains those Web articles that involve hardware reviews or information security topics.

DEE-ANN: Which of these types of projects would you say is the most difficult?

ED TITTEL: Anything that involves building PCs and/or executing lengthy test or benchmarking drills are not so much difficult as they are incredibly time-consuming. I always have to keep an eye on the ratio of "hours worked" to "dollars earned," which helps me stay focused on my return on time invested which is my most important and valuable resource.

DEE-ANN: Do you tend to focus most of this work around a single theme?

ED TITTEL: Not really. Rather, it clusters around a set of themes that include PC hardware, networking, information security and markup languages. Occasionally I'll get projects that let me combine two, or very rarely, three of these areas.

DEE-ANN: How long have you been freelancing?

ED TITTEL: I wrote my first free-lance article in 1986, but didn't become a full-time freelancer until May, 1994. Since 1994, I've had two stints of full-time employment: for about 6 months in 1997-98 at Tivoli Systems/IBM, and for about 7 months at NetQoS in 2006. 

DEE-ANN: What did you end up doing in your full-time positions?

ED TITTEL:

  • Tivoli: Job Title "Technical Evangelist" where responsibilities involved educating large customers about a specific family of network management products.
  • NetQos: started out as Director of Training in which position I helped to develop a training curriculum and outlined a certification program; ended up as a Senior Technical Researcher, in which position I worked on an in-depth TCP/IP performance analysis project.

DEE-ANN: Can you describe a typical, or at least recent, project for us?

ED TITTEL: This weekend, I finished first draft submission of a 9-chapter chunk on a revision of a book about Windows, to be entitled "Windows 7 in Depth" for Que/Pearson, under the lead authorship of Bob Cowart and Brian Knittel. My topics included a general Windows introduction, disk management, troubleshooting, installing and upgrading, keeping Windows up to date, installing and replacing hardware, and protecting Windows from Viruses and Spyware. It was a very compressed time schedule--about three weeks in all--but a great opportunity to dig into the new Windows while getting paid for the work. 

DEE-ANN: Is that one method you use to choose your projects? An excuse to experiment with something while being paid for it?

ED TITTEL: Yes absolutely.

DEE-ANN: About how much of your time do you spend on the business side, and how much on creating?

ED TITTEL: 75% on writing, editing, or otherwise creating content / 25% on new business development, asking current vendors for more work, concept development & outlining, and chasing money. 

DEE-ANN: How often are you provided a concept to develop, and how often do you approach someone with a concept?

ED TITTEL: These days, it's about 50-50, but that may be because I'm no longer aggressively pursuing book contracts (where one will normally create the concept 80% or more of the time a proposal gets written).

DEE-ANN: What are some tips you might offer for concept development?

ED TITTEL:

  1. Choose a topic that interests you, because you're going to have to spend a lot of time at it if it sells.
  2. Do your market research thoroughly and dispassionately: just because a topic interests you doesn't mean others want to learn about it, too.
  3. It's good to get in on a market or trend early, but even better to provide the best coverage and information about the topics involved. First books generally do well; "Best" books generally do even better, as long as
    they're not too far behind the rest of the pack.

 

DEE-ANN: What is the most important piece of advice you could give to someone starting out or transitioning into your specialty?

ED TITTEL: Start out with at least a 90-day supply of cash (120 days is better) so you can give your pipeline time to fill up before you have to start chasing payments. Otherwise you'll waste too much time running around after money, and not enough time doing productive work. 

DEE-ANN: What’s your favorite part of your work?

ED TITTEL: I enjoy doing research, especially messing around with hardware: building and troubleshooting systems, customizing systems, and figuring out how to make things work, or work better. 

DEE-ANN: What was one of your interesting projects?

ED TITTEL: Ironically, it was a project that never came to fruition. Gigabyte developed an astounding hi-def audio card for HDMI that takes the HDMI video stream from a high-end graphics card as input, and interpolates HDMIT audio into that stream in real-time. This involved solving several incredibly thorny technical issues, and had to be tempered with input from thousands of technical forum posts from early adopters who functioned as an extended beta test team for the card. The issues involved were quite complex, and it was just fascinating to see how early adopters developed solutions and workarounds through sheer dint of trial-and-error effort. I've considered trying to sell this story as a modern-day technology chronicle in the spirit of Tracy Kidder's famous book "The Soul of a New Machine."

DEE-ANN: What would you rather farm off on someone else?

ED TITTEL: I've often employed help to do more mundane and routine business upkeep: filing paperwork, contacting vendors to track or request payment, find co-authors or project staff, and do other project management duties. Fortunately, I'm lucky enough to have worked with and remain associated with some very talented project management professionals who remain ready, able, and willing to help me out with such things. 

DEE-ANN: What should people look for in a good project manager?

ED TITTEL: At least three qualities:
  1. Good people skills, especially in communicating goals and feedback to content creators, and in obtaining information and feedback from customers or publishers.
  2. A keen attention to detail and quality control.
  3. Strong organizational skills, especially in creating and managing schedules/deadlines.

 

DEE-ANN: Anything else you’d like to share with Freelance Survivors?

ED TITTEL: Given recent economic conditions, I've recently weathered the first major downturn in income I've experienced since going full-time freelance in the mid-1990s. In retrospect, I realize now I probably didn't react quickly enough to cutbacks from long-time customers by immediately going out to aggressively solicit more work once the income stream started falling off.

As a consequence, I dipped down in workflow below where I wanted to be from November 2008 through January 2009. Right now (May 2009) I'm actually busier than I like to be, but have decided to work 7 days a week for a while to try to make up for the income losses in the preceding slack period. All of this points to the importance of projecting cash flow, and monitoring levels to make sure you go out to solicit more work at the first sign of a drop-off. Had I done that, my down period wouldn't have lasted so long, and I wouldn't be over-worked right now.

DEE-ANN: Do you have any tips for keeping the cash flow steady without burning yourself out?

ED TITTEL: Several hard-won "lessons recently learned" include:

  1. Always keep looking for more work and new customers (set at least 10%-20% of your time aside for marketing and customer development/recruiting).
  2. Try to avoid putting too many of your eggs into any single basket: I always try to maintain at least 4-5 active customers at any given time.
  3. Whenever you get a reasonable chance, ask existing customers about new work (it's a delicate balancing act to stay between "irritating pest" and "incommunicative supplier/vendor" but it's a vital balance to find and maintain).

Comments (0) . Saturday, 4 July 2009